Everton vehemently denied today that the career of Geordie superstar Paul Gascoigne is over at 33 years of age.

Gazza will be out of action for another month after an operation on an injured knee.

However the word from Merseyside is that Everton will look at the situation again in the summer and decide whether or not to pay up Gazza and allow him to find another club.

Whenever he's played in the first team he's done well but Everton feel that hasn't happened often enough for him to justify his wages.

"We'll get the full specialist's report tomorrow but we're hopeful that Paul will be back before the end of the season," insisted Everton boss Walter Smith. "Talk of the injury ending his career is premature and, as far as we are aware at this stage, incorrect."

Gazza played the full 90 minutes in a reserve match a fortnight ago but then underwent his 23rd operation to drain fluid from a swollen knee which had become infected.

Gascoigne last started a first team game in the home defeat by Aston Villa on November 5 and has made just 15 appearances for the Merseysiders.

His career has been plagued by a series of injuries which have curtailed a glittering talent. Though injury free at Newcastle United, he was carried off on a stretcher with a serious knee injury in the FA Cup final with Spurs and then broke a leg with Italian giants Lazio. That was the start of a catalogue of injuries.

Recently Gazza has been fighting against hernia and thigh problems.

Bobby Robson once famously called Gazza "daft as a brush" when the Geordie ran his England midfield in the 1990 World Cup finals. It should have been the start of a wonderful career but injuries kicked in and though Paul still showed an extra special creative talent in midfield his ability to get away from defenders was restricted.

Nevertheless he's been hailed as the last great all-round talent this country has produced.